Atlas/Asia Minor
In ancient times, it was said that there was a culture or a people present in Anatolia which was called Assuwa, which when corrupted by the Greeks of Ionia became "Asia". Since then, however, the Greeks have used that garbled name to denote that portion of the world east of their world beyond the thin fringe of Ionia. These lands consist of the three regions of "Little Asia" — Anatolia, Euxinia and Transcaucasia by the shores of the Pontic and Hyrcanian Seas. For many years the entire Greek race was mostly at war with the Persians, but now they rule supreme. Notes While Asia Minor is nothing in size compared to the whopping 17 territories which form Asia Major, it is still a strategic point in the map which separates the European parts of the world from the rest of Asia: while Hellas is densely populated and contested by the four Greek powers, the other factions to the east such as the Seleucids and the Armenians actually have plenty of room for growing around. This results in some fairly interesting gameplay for those who are geographically invested in the region, such as the Hellenic factions which normally are scattered between the regions of Anatolia and Archaea Hellas in the Aegean, as control of the two crossing points into Europe - Anatolia and Euxinia - are vital in keeping any pan-Asian power, particularly the Seleucids and Parthians, out of Europe, given their proximity. However, for a faction located far away like the Celtiberi or the Numidians, the distance could well make any prospect of controlling Anatolia to keep a Seleucid invasion at bay a strategic afterthought to be dealt with only when sufficient resources abound. Resource-wise Asia Minor is a mixed bag: some areas like Cappadocia are dirt-poor, while others such as Scythia or Galatia have ample supplies or control vital rare resources worth more than the one-time tribute boost they provide you. Ultimately, however, the tribute boost gained from uniting Asia Minor is very high, so it is far wiser to conquer the territories of this region rather than to haggle for them piecemeal. Strategic resourcesfile:rare.png Slave emporion - Ionia|link=atlas/Asia Minor#Ionia Wine - Colchis|link=atlas/Asia Minor#Colchis Pine wood - Galatia|link=atlas/Asia Minor#Galatia Bitumen - Atropatene|link=atlas/Asia Minor#Atropatene link=Atlas/Asia Minor#Cherson|Cereals - Cherson link=Atlas/Asia Minor#Cilicia|Seals - Cilicia Transcaucasia These three mountain kingdoms form a route between the Euxine Sea and the Hyrcanian Sea. Long part of the late Persian empire, the strategic location these three territories occupy has come to the fore for outsiders seeking profits and power. Atropatene Rumours have it that the rocks here bleed a strange dark substance which has been used by builders and craftsmen alike for mortar whereso needed. Scythia *Corresponds to: Astrakhan This lowland by the western Hyrcanian coast is said to be the homeland of the Scythians, a group of fierce and unrelenting warriors. Recent contacts with the Greeks however have allowed the Scythians to become rich through trade with the Bosporan Cimmerians and other Greek cities around the Euxine Sea, but they are nonetheless warriors at heart. Armenia Armenia consists of the lands between Anatolia and Euxinia, which have been dominated by the Armenian people following Hayasdan The heart of the Armenian empire is located in these forbidding mountains. Euxinia Named after the Euxinian Sea upon whose eastern coastline its territories stretch across, Euxinia consists of three territories: Pontus, Cherson, and Colchis and is the home of the kingdoms of Pontus and Bosporus. Cherson *Alternate names: Crimea, Cimmeria *Corresponds to: Crimea Formally called Cimmeria (after its first peoples, the Cimmerians) but popularly called Cherson or "the peninsula", Cherson is the home of the Graeco-Cimmerian kingdom of Bosporus. *Strategic resource: Cereals Pontus *Alternate names: Trabzon, Pontos, Pontus Hellenon *Corresponds to: Trebizond The very capital of the Pontic kingdom. Colchis *Alternate name: Colchis et Iberia, Kolketi da Kartli *Corresponds to: Kartvelia This ancient land was said to be the home of the Giolden Fleece, which was taken by Thesseus to prove his claim to Athenian kingship. While the land's fortunes have shifted since then, it still forms an important part of the Euxine region. Anatolia *Owned by: Pergamon (Ionia), Egypt (Cilicia) The "land of the rising sun", Anatolia, was one of the first few places in Asia to be colonised by Greek-speaking peoples. A huge and ancient land, the home of the goddess Kybele boasts cities powerful and strong enough to even challenge the likes of Athens and Alexandria, yet has an ancient and primeval heart where its original inhabitants still live, with forested hills covering its western territories, and harsh and unforgiving mountains ablaze with snow and thunder abounding in its east where they stretch into the Caucasus and Persia. Ionia *Alternate names: Bithynia (?), Pergamon *Corresponds to: Bosporus The very first of Greek expansion into Asia, Ionia consists of all the lands which were settled from the west, and is now the seat of power for the former kingdom of Thrace — now known as Pergamon. Ionia is also the seat of a thriving slave trade in which the luckless and the defeated are herded in long caravans to the Greek cities via Thessalia to await the same famous fate inflicted on two celebrities thought to have been born here: Cassandra and Hecuba. Cilicia *Corresponds to: Galatia (se) The narrow strait between Asia Minor and the island of Cyprus, dotted with secluded coves sheltered by rocky sea cliffs makes it the perfect hiding place for pirates who ply their grisly trade on the unwary and unwilling alike. Galatia *Alternate names: Galatia & Lydia; Ephesus; Phrygia *Corresponds to: Galatia This horn-hard land is known as the former home of the Phrygians, but is now the home of a clann of Celts which fled from certain death at the hands of the Greeks and consequently settled here. Cappadocia *Corresponds to: Edessa (west) The mountainous Cappadocian heartland does not lend itself well to civilisation, but the harsh lives which its inhabitants live have produced men whose souls far exceed the deficit of civilisation in their lives and who are amongst some of the toughest warriors in the world. Category:Armenians Category:Pergamenes Category:Atlas